Nagkasundo ang Senate Committee on Finance na i-restore o ibalik ang P723.39-million proposed budget ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) para sa susunod na taon.
Sa ilalim kasi ng National Expenditure Program (NEP) ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM), P679.74-million lang ang inaprubahang pondo ng tanggapan sa 2021.
Ayon kay Vice President Leni Robredo, na dumalo via video conference, apektado ng tinapyas na P45-million ang alokasyon para sa mga survey sa ilalim ng kanilang research and development, at pagbili ng mga bagong service vehicle.
“We have about 6 vehicles which could not be used anymore. All of them are 7-years old (and) those vehicles have been here since we assumed office… we’re not adding new vehicles technically, those are replacements for vehicles we can’t use anymore.”
“For our relief operations, we have been using the private vehicles of our staff already since we can’t use office vehicles anymore. That is not a problem as far as our staff is concerned, but the problem is we couldn’t charge gasoline. That’s out of pocket already.”
Para kay Sen. Francis Pangilinan, makatarungan naman kung pananatilihin ang panukalang budget ng OVP dahil sa magandang record ng tanggapan. Tiyak umanong hindi masasayang ang aaprubahang pondo kung sakali.
Kamakailan nang gawaran sa ikalawang pagkakataon ng “highest audit rating” ng Commission on Audit ang opisina ng pangalawang pangulo.
“In government, if you see a functioning, working, effective, you should give them more so that they will be even more effective.”
Nagpahayag din ng suporta para sa budget restoration ng OVP sina Senator’s Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid, at Nancy Binay, na anak ni dating Vice President Jejomar Binay.
“When my father was the Vice President, ang lagi niyang reklamo, mas malaki pa yung budget ng barangay namin sa Makati kaysa sa budget ng vice president… I think at some point, bigyan naman natin ng dignity ang OVP, let us find a permanent home for this office,” pahayag ni Binay.
“The Vice President has no official residence, has no vehicles, has no official office actually. During VP Binay’s time it was Coconut Palace, and now its Quezon City. Talagang medyo dehado ang OVP,” ayon naman kay committee chairman Sen. Sonny Angara.
Inatasan ni Sen. Franklin Drilon ang tanggapan na magsumite sa komite ng opisyal na listahan ng kanilang mga items na hindi inaprubahan sa NEP.
“The committee will consider this favorably at the proper time when we tackle the amendments, but this early I think it’s clear that the support will be overwhelming with the increase,” ani Angara.
